The limited patter of the judges "You brought it, dawg!", "You're a star!", "Appalling!" stirred us to seek broader and more constructive assessments of American Idol's contestants. Four opinionated veterans of the entertainment industry agreed to keep tabs on the show (8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesday on Fox) and provide weekly analysis and tips. Meet the coaches:

The limited patter of the judges "You brought it, dawg!", "You're a star!", "Appalling!" stirred us to seek broader and more constructive assessments of American Idol's contestants. Four opinionated veterans of the entertainment industry agreed to keep tabs on the show (8 p.m. ET/PT Tuesday on Fox) and provide weekly analysis and tips. Meet the coaches:

Guitar master Link Wray, the father of the power chord in rock 'n' roll who inspired legends such as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Pete Townsend, died at his home in Copenhagen, Denmark and was quietly buried after a Nov. 18 service.

Even guitar gods can perform like mere mortals. In its December issue, Guitar World lists The 100 Worst Riffs, Licks & Solos of All Time, skewering a diverse lineup that includes Def Leppard, The Who, the Grateful Dead, Korn, Metallica and B.B. King.

No wounds were reopened, no scores settled and no blame assigned before Van Halen buried the hatchet, ending a feud even its fomenters found baffling. Singer Sammy Hagar, 56, explains in overlapping metaphors, "Maybe I've got my head in the sand, but I don't believe in digging up the dirt." We already went through the misery once," says Hagar, newly reunited with guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony. "Why relive a horrible experience? If you take a spiritual approach, you can rise above it. It's working for us so far."